Golden Aspirations
by Sindie
Summary: Iago's greed for gold finally drives him too far... to the point of sickness. Can his friends save him from himself?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Aladdin characters, but you already knew that!

Golden Aspirations

By Sindie

Chapter One

"Oh, c'mon, Blue Boy! If it's as easy as pointing your pinky finger and making stuff appear, why can't you just do it already?"

The small red parrot pointed an accusatory feather-finger at the large blue genie as they stood in a face-off in Aladdin's hovel.

"I've told you before, Iago," Genie replied in an annoyingly calm manner, "if I went about giving people gold like it cost nothing, it would cheapen its value. Agrabah's economy would suffer."

"I'm not talkin' about the whole city!" Iago shouted, pulling at his head feathers in frustration. "I meant just me!"

Genie folded his arms over his chest and purposefully turned his head away, refusing to look at Iago. He sighed, then changed into a college professor, blackboard and all behind him. He pointed at some mathematical figures on the board and said in a deliberately slow voice, "Too much gold will ruin not only Agrabah, but anyone who wishes for it." He whisked away the board and the teacher attire, adding, "If anyone could just have everything they ever wanted, they'd never know the value of a buck or an honest day's work. I spent thousands of years being a slave to other people's whims. I'm not about to start that over again now that I'm finally free."

Genie's normally jovial face was frowning.

Iago, for his part, didn't seem to care a whit about Genie's morals or slowly disintegrating mood. Finally, Iago had enough, and he flew directly into Genie's face, beak to nose, and shouted, "Fine! I can take a hint! The bird risks his tail feathers time and again as you bozos drag me on one wild goose chase after another, and for what?! So I can come away empty-winged every time, without fail, when treasure was promised?! You don't wanna help me? Fine! Go frolic with Aladdin and that hairy primate and compare notes on how you're somehow ethically superior to the bird!"

"That's the best idea you've had all day," Genie muttered between clenched teeth. "Don't blame me that you're missing out on dinner at the palace." With those parting words, Genie vanished, leaving Iago alone.

Iago sat down with a huff and crossed his wings over his chest, glaring at the palace in the distance.

"So, what?" he groused to himself. "Let him go off all happy and jolly and make merry. It's all too easy for him."

Iago's stomach growled, and he wondered what dinner at the palace would be. In spite of himself, he hated to miss such an opportunity. He never understood why Aladdin insisted on living in this mouldy hovel after he was engaged to the princess. While they spent the occasional night and plenty of time during any given day at the palace, the group didn't live there. For that, Iago resented his friends.

I had it all when I lived in the palace, Iago thought with envy. Wealth, power, comfort…

"But who am I kidding? I'd never go back to living with the likes of Jafar again," he said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. "Still, why can't Al just live at the palace? Is it so wrong to want to be well off?"

Having calmed some, Iago made up his mind to fly to the palace. It was times like this when he was glad he was a bird. Flying over the palace walls made it much easier to enter. Iago could well imagine Rasoul and the other guards giving him the third degree about trying to go inside. He wasn't sure if the guards disliked him on account of his previous association with Jafar or simply due to the fact that he could be annoying and loud.

The sun was already setting by the time Iago flew into the dining room. Some fruit remained on the table, and Iago was surprised to find that the main course had already ended. Dessert of baklava was piled high on several plates lining the length of the table, and Iago's mouth watered at the sights alone, let alone the smells.

He dropped onto the table between Aladdin and Jasmine and didn't waste a second announcing his presence. "All right, Al, pass me the baklava!"

Aladdin hadn't seen Iago come in and startled upon hearing the parrot's grating voice.

"Iago!" he exclaimed, then quickly recovered. "Nice of you to finally join us."

Iago detected sarcasm in his friend's tone, which immediately set him off. "Huh, what's that supposed to mean? Can't a bird ask for a handout?"

"According to Genie, you were asking him for more than a handout," Aladdin said with a raised eyebrow.

Iago glared at Genie, then at Abu, who was wagging his finger at him. He growled and shot up into the air, thoroughly irritated. "Jeez! Is nothing secret around here?! Did ya spend the whole evening chattin' it up about me?!"

"Iago, calm down," Jasmine tried to reason. "No one is trying to accuse you of anything."

"Except greed," Genie murmured.

"What was that?" Iago turned hotly toward Genie.

"Uh, except Greece," Genie corrected jokingly, wishing to lighten the situation. He couldn't stay in a bad mood for long and so turned into an Olympic athlete. "I was just saying to Sultan that Agrabah really could use some discus and shotput games. Go long!"

Genie threw a disc, and as it went whirling through the air, it came straight at Iago, who didn't have enough time to move out of the way. The fast moving projectile caught him in the stomach and hurled him through the hall, ending in a painful crunch into the wall.

Everyone gathered about the table chuckled. Iago's back and head were on fire with agony, and they were laughing! He peeled himself off the wall and was tempted to explode, his anger at its limit. When no one seemed concerned for his welfare, Iago swallowed down his rage, which settled inside as a hurt more painful than any physical hurt he was feeling. Without a word, he left the dining hall.

The laughter stopped.

"Uh-oh," Genie said in a small voice. "Did I go too far?"

"Aladdin, someone should make sure Iago's okay," Jasmine said, guilt etched on her pretty features.

"He's fine." Aladdin tried to wave off Iago's departure. "I don't think going after him when he's like this is going to help."

"Can we trust him by himself?" Sultan asked. "That bird is likely to try to find trouble even when there's none about."

Aladdin inwardly cringed at Sultan's words. While there was truth in them, Aladdin didn't wish to think the worst of someone he considered a friend.

"I said I'd look out for him when he first came back," Aladdin stated. "Maybe I should check on him."

"That was over a year ago," Jasmine replied, "but then again, maybe Father's right." Having an idea, she turned to Abu. "Abu, why don't you go see if Iago's okay? Maybe he'd take better to you than any of us."

Abu scowled and squeaked indignantly, but he relented when he received glares from the others.

"Oh, alwight," he said, scampering away.

x x x

Iago didn't want to be found. While it was true that he had stolen away in Jafar's old lab before, he returned now, desperate in his frustration to find something, anything, that would help him find treasure, or at least a way of getting riches without having to do a lot of unnecessary nasty footwork.

"Let them laugh," Iago said to himself. He puffed up his chest in pride, trying to quell the weakness in him. "They'll be the last ones laughing when I'm finally rich, and this time, I don't care what I have to do to get it. I'm sick and tired of being the brunt of their amusement, of risking my feathers for their charity causes, of being denied what I really want."

The rational part of his mind knew he should have avoided Jafar's lab at all costs, that he would do well to stay away from reminders of his past. For the first time in a long time, Iago was second guessing everything he had come to believe since becoming friends with Aladdin and the rest of them.

In his heart, he knew he would never be like them, so they could never understand him. Maybe it was time to embrace who he really was.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Iago didn't have many opportunities to spend in Jafar's lab when he was with his friends. The others were almost always keeping tabs on him, and he usually didn't think about coming to this place. However, as much as memories of his old master unnerved him, Iago knew that this lab housed many useful spells and incantations. Jafar had possessed the means of obtaining knowledge, power, and wealth, so Iago knew a lot from his years on the sorcerer's shoulders.

In the past several months, when the others would still be sleeping, Iago would steal away in the early hours of the morning. While spending the night at the palace made it easier, Iago could just as easily leave and be back in time for sunrise when they were at Aladdin's hovel. On those days, he had been especially cranky.

The books Iago was interested in were all stacked together: the ones about gold and other riches. He sneezed as he dusted off old maps and set them aside, going for the top book in the pile.

"Golden Aspirations," Iago read the title with unsuppressed glee. "Oh, yes, you'll do nicely…"

He flipped through the pages, most of which contained stories of legendary buried treasures across the Seven Deserts. Without the help of Aladdin et al., Iago knew he couldn't obtain any of them. In fact, he had already tried a few treasures: the Forbidden Oasis, for example, and what a disaster that had been!

What was the point of leading an unsuspecting treasure hunter on a quest for riches when the gold was "forbidden?"

This time, Iago wished for a spell. He wanted something quick and easy in his desperation, and with almost unbelievable luck, he stumbled across the seemingly perfect spell: The Fool's Fortune.

Iago snorted at the title.

"Fool's Fortune, indeed," he muttered. "They just don't want anyone actually trying it; that's why they call them a fool. Why'd they bother writin' it down in here if it doesn't work?"

Too many means of getting rich had proven too difficult and complicated for Iago over the past year. If this spell would guarantee him gold and jewels by the mere utterance of words, he would try it.

"It's just words, right?" Iago reasoned with himself. "If it's not a real spell, it won't work, but if it is and I don't try it, then I'm a fool. Okay, here goes:

"Fool's fortune be found

Not underground,

But with the heart's desire,

Gold is set afire.

Beware what you wish for,

Lest you close the door."

Iago finished and looked around. He didn't feel any different. Thinking the spell had failed, Iago slammed the book shut.

"Stupid spell," he complained. "I shoulda known nothing would be that easy. 'Heart's desire?' 'Close the door?' I mean, what's that supposed to mean, anyway?"

Growing tired and feeling defeated, Iago flapped out the door, returning to Jafar's old bed chambers. Iago spotted his perch next to the bed, surprised the sultan hadn't yet changed the room. He shivered, remembering a decade of darkness with Jafar and shook his head at himself.

"Who was I fooling?" he muttered, landing in the hall just outside the door. "Just fooling myself."

Abu came around the corner and saw Iago, screeching excitedly.

Iago groaned and waved the monkey away with his wing. "Lemme guess. The rescue squad sent you on a mission to find me. Well, mission accomplished, chimp. You can report back that the parrot isn't doing anything that would endanger the lives of any of the palace's precious inhabitants."

Abu grabbed a protesting Iago by the wing and pulled him down the hall.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" Iago asked indignantly. "Let me go!"

Iago yanked his wing free and flew high enough above Abu, so the monkey couldn't reach him.

"You happy? I'm going back to our esteemed bunch of weirdos."

Abu chittered happily and ran beneath Iago. When Iago returned to the dining hall, the table was empty of food, even though the people were still seated around it.

"Aw, c'mon," Iago said with a frown. "I didn't even get to eat anything."

"Not a problem, right, Sultan?" Aladdin asked.

"Of course," Sultan replied, clapping his hands. The kitchen staff entered the room, and Sultan said, "Please bring a bowl of fruit."

"Hey, no hard feelings about before, right?" Genie asked. "I guess I don't know my own strength," he added, changing into a body builder and lifting a ton weight in the air like it was nothing.

"Are you okay, Iago?" Jasmine added.

Iago, taken aback by the kindness that greeted him, settled on the table where he previously had.

"Uh, yeah, sure… thanks," he mumbled, feeling suddenly exhausted. He picked up a banana when the fruit arrived and took two bites before he couldn't focus anymore on eating. "Can we just go to bed? I'm really tired."

Aladdin nodded. "If that's what you want. You're sure you're okay?"

Iago not eating was unusual, and considering the terrible mood he had been in earlier, Aladdin was surprised to find the parrot oddly calm, to the point of falling asleep on the table.

Iago didn't answer. He was snoring, passed out on the uncomfortable wooden surface of the table. Aladdin picked him up and asked about sleeping at the palace for the night. Given Sultan's approval, Aladdin wished Jasmine goodnight and went to his usual room with his friends. He gingerly placed Iago on some pillows, not sure what to make of Iago's behavior.

Genie poofed into his pajamas and nightcap, a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth as he surveyed Iago. "Some day, eh? Bird's right worn out. Strange for him to not put up a fight longer."

Aladdin shrugged, yawning. "Well, now that he's sleeping, it seems like a good idea. He'll be fine in the morning."

The electric toothbrush vibrated Genie's whole mouth, toothpaste foaming down his chin. After a minute, he pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth and zapped it away, along with the mess on his face. "Hmm, might need to look into a different brand. Methinks I don't need something quite that powerful. Iago, on the other hand, is going to bed without brushing his teeth, and he might need my handy-dandy Brush-o-matic 10,000 in the morning." Genie gazed quizzically at Iago and added, "Since when do birds have teeth, anyway?"

Aladdin and Abu chuckled. "Iago's not exactly your typical bird, though, is he?" Aladdin joked. "How many birds do you know who would rather have gold than crackers?"

"Don't tell that one to Iago," Genie said with mock-outrage. Leaning into his friends, he whispered conspiratorially, "Between you and me, I think the parrot is done up on crackers after years of cracker-shoving-down-the-gullet."

Aladdin laughed harder. "All right, Genie," he said soberly after a few moments. "That's enough joking at Iago's expense. He's not even awake to defend himself."

"Aw, party pooper!" Genie razzed Aladdin. "All right, goodnight!" With that, Genie disappeared into his lamp and promptly started snoring.

Abu settled down on some pillows and drew a blanket over himself, closing his eyes in contentment, and Carpet sprawled himself out on the floor next to Aladdin's bed and went still. Before Aladdin extinguished the candle on the bedside table, he gazed one last time at Iago. From what he could discern, Iago was sleeping peacefully.

"Sleep well, Iago," Aladdin said softly. "I hope you're happier in the morning."

Aladdin blew out the candle and fell back onto the pillow in relief, slumber soon overtaking him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Iago could see only blackness when he opened his eyes. He got the distinct impression that something wasn't quite right, but when he noticed the softness of the familiar cushions underneath him, he stilled. He knew those pillows. He was in the palace. Giving his eyes a moment to adjust, he finally saw the stars beyond the window. His friends were all sleeping around him, and judging on the darkness, he figured it was still hours from sunrise.

He was dizzy and disoriented, but then he remembered he had hardly eaten anything at dinner. Maybe a visit to the kitchen was in order.

He decided to walk to the hallway, where sconces on the walls would light his way for flying. When he tried to fly, however, he fell to the floor, hitting his head.

"Ow," he groaned, rubbing it. "What gives?"

The dizziness wasn't letting up, so Iago walked. Walking with his little legs took much longer than flying, and by the time he reached the kitchen, he was exhausted.

"Again?" he asked. "I remember feeling burnt out right before I fell asleep."

Iago reached for an apple and took a bite. He was starving, yet one mouthful of the fruit made him nauseated. He spit the food out and flopped onto the table.

"Am I comin' down with something? I wish I could just be happy. Some gold right now would cheer me up, but I'd take not wanting to vomit my breakfast."

A clatter of metal sounded next to Iago, and he jumped.

"What the- ?" He reached in the near-dark and grasped a wingful of coins. "Gold?"

Then he remembered the spell.

"You mean… it worked?" Iago examined the coins as well as he could in the low light and grinned. "It… it worked!"

In a flash, the nausea and fatigue were gone, and happiness filled Iago to the brim.

Realizing he would need something to hold the coins, Iago found a small pot on the counter and managed to fly over to it with his renewed energy. He promptly stashed the money away, unable to believe his luck.

"That means I could get rich, finally! All I have to do is wish for it, and bam, instant gold! Hmm, what about jewels? I wish I had a nice big diamond - you know, the kind too big for a ring setting."

Pop! A half-inch in diameter diamond appeared next to Iago, and he picked it up, smiling ridiculously wide.

"Oooo!" he marveled. "Nice, very nice!"

He added the diamond to the pot.

"I had better find a safe spot for this stuff," he murmured, "before the others wake up. They mustn't know."

Iago picked the pot up with his wings, and the weight of it was almost too heavy for him to carry. There was no way he could clutch the pot with his talons and fly it to safety, so he was resigned to walking once again.

"I seem to have developed a habit of talking to myself," he said with a chuckle, his mood lighter than it had been in days. "No matter, I'd walk to China and back if it means I can be rich."

Deciding the best place for hiding the gold would be Jafar's lab, Iago returned there. He removed a loose stone from the wall, exposing a secret place Jafar often kept things he didn't want to risk being found - not that anyone at the time even knew about his lab.

He pushed the stone back in place, huffing for breath.

"I must have overdone it again," Iago muttered. "I really could use a nap. Heck, it's still dark. I bet I have hours until breakfast. I'll just lie down here…"

Before he could finish his thought, he collapsed onto the floor.

x x x

Aladdin was the first to awaken among the group sharing his room. The sun was already shining brightly beyond the large window, and he had to squint to adjust to the intensity. Rubbing the grime out of his eyes, he looked around at his friends, their soft snores amusing him. When Aladdin got to Iago's spot, he was surprised to find the bird missing.

Odd, thought Aladdin. Maybe he's already up and raiding the kitchen. I wouldn't put it past him.

"Hey, guys," Aladdin said. "I think it's time to wake up."

Abu groaned, stretching lazily on the pillows he occupied. He sat up and blinked blearily, scratching his side. Carpet floated a few feet up into the air and stretched as far as he could, then settled back on the floor, one tassel positioned under him like a hand holding up a chin. Genie poofed out of his lamp a moment later, unshaven and donning the same pajamas as the night before.

"Good morning, Al," Genie greeted him. "And Abu, Carpet, and Iago, of course," he added, gazing around. "Hey, wait a minute… Where's our bird friend?"

"Probably getting a head start on breakfast," Aladdin chuckled. "C'mon, guys. Let's get ready and find out what's up."

Genie saluted. "Right-o, sir! First, a shave." Genie lathered his face with a ridiculous amount of foam and violently dragged an ax over it.

Aladdin winced, but Genie came away with a clean face. He popped into his regular blue pants and announced, "Ready!"

The gang proceeded to the dining hall, where they were met by Jasmine and Sultan. After exchanging good mornings, Aladdin asked the question they were all thinking.

"Has anyone seen Iago this morning?"

"No, I'm afraid not, my boy," Sultan replied. "Hmm, that bird had better not be causing trouble."

Aladdin noticed that Sultan was quick to jump to accusations against the parrot, but didn't say anything.

"Iago's been behaving strangely," Jasmine reasoned. "Perhaps we should alert the guards to be on the lookout for him."

Aladdin cringed. "Ah, probably not a good idea. The guards don't exactly have a liking for Iago. Maybe we should look for him ourselves after breakfast."

"You may do so," Sultan put in, "but I have royal duties to perform. The Sultan of Gezitstan will be visiting next week, and I need to be sure everything is in order."

Breakfast passed without any sign of Iago. As the hour progressed, Aladdin grew worried. It wasn't like Iago to just disappear, and with him not eating and falling asleep so quickly last night, he knew something was wrong.

"We'll find him," Jasmine reassured him, taking his arm in hers. She entwined her hand with his and gave it a squeeze. "Iago wouldn't just leave, especially the palace. He's bound to be here somewhere."

Aladdin sighed. "I hope you're right. It's just… what if something happened to him?" Then, he had an idea. "Hey, Genie, do you think you can track Iago down?"

"Sure thing, Al!" Genie exclaimed, morphing into a bloodhound. "I'll just get the parrot's scent." Genie-dog sniffed the table where Iago had been sitting the previous evening and drew back his nose. "Ooo-weee! Remind Iago to take a dip in the bird bath when we find him."

Genie's black dog nose worked along the floor, following the trail back to Aladdin's room, then back to the kitchens, and then back down the hall to…

"Jafar's old room," Jasmine said with evident distaste. "What's he doing in here?"

They entered the dismal red and black room, dust coating the furniture and tapestries. Aladdin glared at the bed where the former Grand Vizier had slept and then at Iago's old perch. He frowned, wondering why, indeed, Iago would go into a place that surely would bring him only bad memories.

"Then again," Aladdin said, "Iago has gone into Jafar's lab a few times. It's through here, remember?"

"Oh, I remember," Jasmine said, curling her lip. "Let's just get this over with."

"I'll do the honors," Genie announced, changing back into his regular self. He yanked on a rope hanging near the wall, and the secret passage's entrance opened. Abu scampered ahead of the group, and before long, Aladdin and the others heard the monkey's squeals from within.

Jasmine gasped when she saw Iago lying there, and if his tiny chest hadn't been moving up and down, she would have thought him dead. Iago was lying at an unnatural angle, his wings and legs flopped out from his body on the stone floor. His head was cocked to the side, his beak partially open.

She knelt down beside the parrot and gingerly picked him up. Feeling his forehead, she murmured, "He's burning up."

"Let's get him out of here," Aladdin said urgently, glaring around at the contents of the horrid place.

Jasmine held Iago to her heart as they left, praying he would be fine.

Once they were back in Aladdin's room and Iago was lying on the bed, Aladdin asked, "What could have done this? Do you think he did it to himself, or was he cursed by someone or something? Genie, anything?" Aladdin looked at Genie askance.

Genie held a small box-like device over Iago, running it up and down his small body. It dinged.

"Dinner's ready," Genie quipped, but he frowned when Aladdin and Jasmine glowered at him. "Okay, all joking aside, Iago may have been cursed by a spell gone bad. I don't know what spell, or if it even actually worked, but Jafar's lab is rife with nasty stuff."

"Then we need to figure out what Iago did," Aladdin said firmly. "Genie, do you think you can look after him, keep him from burning up?"

"Not a problem, Al. You guys go look for the cause of this, if there is one, and I'll stay here with Birdman."

Aladdin, Jasmine, and Abu left. Genie gazed sorrowfully down at his little friend, recalling their argument from the day before.

"What have you gone and done now, Iago?" Genie posed quietly, forcing what the others would have called a strange tablet down Iago's throat. "Tylenol," Genie said. "It should help with the fever, but this is more than that."

Iago's eyes popped open, bloodshot and glazed over with fever. He bolted into a sitting position.

"Gold!" he cried. "Where's my gold?!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Well, hello to you, too, Iago," Genie replied, relieved to see him awake, although cautious due to Iago's odd behavior.

"My gold!" the parrot yelled again. "What have you done with it?" With unexpected energy, Iago launched into the air and flew violently at Genie, grabbing his ears and pulling his face toward his own. "I know you've been against me gettin' rich from the start! So, fork it over, you clown!"

Shocked, Genie pulled the bird away from his face, careful not to be too rough. He kept a firm yet gentle grip on Iago and said placatingly, "Iago, there's no gold. You're delirious."

"An easy excuse!" Iago accused. "You always think the worst of me! I'll have you know that I'm perfectly in my right state of mind. In fact, I've never had my sights clearer. I'm finally going to do things my way, and make no mistake, I will be rich."

"We need to find the others," Genie said calmly. "Maybe they've found a way to help you out. I know you've always been greedy, Iago, but this is beyond - way beyond - your usual greed. You're sick, and you need help."

"I'm fine!" Iago insisted, trying to break free from Genie's grasp, but Genie refused to let go.

Genie whooshed out of the room at lightning speed and down the corridor to Jafar's quarters. He wasted not a moment in tugging on the rope to the lab and was relieved to find the others still inside.

Aladdin was the first to notice Iago was awake. For a second, he was at ease, but when he saw the feverish look on Iago's face, Aladdin knew the parrot was far from fine.

"Iago," Aladdin said, stepping close to him, "are you okay? What did you do to yourself?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Iago denied. "And stop fawning over me. I'm fine!"

Aladdin wasn't convinced. He had asked after Iago's welfare, in hopes that Iago would confess. When Iago lied about his condition, Aladdin knew he had to move forward with what he needed to say next.

"That's not what we think," he said. "What's this book doing lying open on the table?" Aladdin motioned toward the _Golden Aspirations_ tome.

"We found it like this," Jasmine added, trying not to sound accusatory. "You ought to be more careful in hiding your trail if you don't want to get caught, Iago."

Iago's eyes fell on the book. A part of him realized his folly. He must have been too worn out after uttering the spell, and he had even returned here to hide the gold and hadn't thought to also hide the book!

"The spell doesn't even work," Iago tried to lie. "Do I look like a sorcerer to you? What makes you think I can even do magic?"

Aladdin was almost persuaded, but Jasmine and Genie frowned.

"You spent a long time with Jafar," Jasmine pointed out. "You have more knowledge of magic than most. I'm sure it couldn't have been that hard to pick up a few tricks of the trade over the years."

"Jas is right," Genie agreed. "These spell books usually only work half the time for the skilled wizard, though. Iago here is a far cry from being magical."

Genie looked down at Iago as he spoke, only to find he had fallen asleep again. His temperature wasn't going down, either.

"I hate to say it, guys, but if we don't reverse the spell soon, it's likely to kill him," Genie said in an unusually serious voice.

"Then we have to find a way to fix this," Aladdin said with determination.

"Before it's too late," Jasmine added. "And we don't even know if it's the spell for sure. How do we know it worked?"

"Yeah," Abu squeaked sadly.

While Iago slept, his dreams were pleasant to the point of being ludicrous… at least they started that way.

_He was jumping into mound after mound of gold with ease, diving and swimming through the coins like water. He was decked out with jewels from head to foot, and all this occurred within the walls of his own palace. He laughed merrily at first, but after some time, his laughter morphed into something ugly: it was maniacal and out of control. He stopped suddenly when his friends entered the picture, and he glowered at them._

"_What are you guys doin' here?" he barked caustically. "Unless you've come to admire my wealth, go away. I don't need anyone!"_

_Abu sniffled as tears formed in his large eyes. The monkey climbed up Aladdin's arm and perched himself on his friend's shoulders, burying his face in Aladdin's hair._

"_What's wrong with you, Iago?" Aladdin shot back. "Even for you, this is going too far."_

"_We didn't come here to hear you gloat or to admire your riches," Jasmine said almost pleadingly. "We came because we're worried about you."_

"_Well, don't be!" Iago yelled. "You've made it clear that you don't want me to be happy! Now I'm finally happy, and you're tryin' to take it all away from me again!"_

"_That's not true, Birdman," Genie said evenly. "We want to help you, but we can only help you if you let us."_

"_Have you really forgotten what truly matters?" asked Aladdin. "You're our friend."_

"_We care about you, Iago," Jasmine implored, stepping closer to him. She was now sitting on the ground next to him, eye-level. She tentatively reached out for him. "Please, come with us. We can help you. Just stop doing this to yourself. You have to be the one to choose."_

"_But- but I can't," Iago weakly protested, beginning to lose his will to be angry. "I… I don't know if I know how to be a friend. Was I ever? Did I ever really belong?"_

_His eyes grew glassy as he spoke, his voice wavering. "I'm so afraid," he whispered. "I'm afraid to let it all go."_

_Jasmine picked him up and hugged him. Iago allowed the tears to fall, embarrassed and ashamed with himself. He closed his eyes, hoping everyone around him would disappear. _

He opened his eyes, and the sensation of being held close and secure grew more real.

He looked up into Jasmine's face.

"It was real," he murmured.

"Iago," Jasmine whispered, smiling with hope.

"What happened?" he asked, shaking his head. He took in his surroundings: Jafar's old lab. He recalled the spell, the gold, the dreams. But the gold, that had been real…

He jumped from Jasmine's hands and flew to the spot in the wall where he had hidden his treasure. Pulling away the stone, he found the place empty save the pot.

"What are you looking for?" Aladdin asked.

"Uh, nothing," Iago said quickly. "I just… something from another time. It's not important."

Genie turned into a doctor and thrusted a thermometer into Iago's mouth. He pulled it out, nodding approvingly. "Your fever's broken. Hmm, you see fine now."

"Did you cast a spell on yourself?" Aladdin questioned, confused.

Iago waved off Aladdin's comment as he landed on the open book. "What, this old thing? Nothin' but a bunch of junk. It doesn't work."

"You really had us worried," Jasmine said with concern.

"Not enough sleep will do that to you… and, uh, okay, maybe I was too preoccupied lately with thoughts of… gold," Iago said in a small voice.

"Glad to have you back to normal," Aladdin said.

Iago laughed nervously, still not sure what had just happened. The haze of the past day was lessening quickly.

"Say, is it about lunch time yet?" Iago asked innocently. He was quite hungry.

Genie zapped into a chef, holding a covered dish. Speaking in a thick and horrible French accent, he announced, "Why, yes! Dinner is served! Today we shall be having pied de cochon et-"

"Pig's foot?" Iago said incredulously, turning his beak up at Genie. "No, thank you! I'd settle for some nice fruit!"

Abu chirped excitedly upon hearing "fruit" and bounced up and down. "Yeah, yeah!" he called.

Aladdin chuckled. "C'mon, guys. Let's go have lunch. I'm glad things are okay now… well, as okay as they can be for living in Agrabah."

Iago landed on Aladdin's shoulder, remarking, "Yeah, when's the next monster attack? Seems to me you have these things scheduled on your calendar, Al."

"Nope, no calendar, Iago," Aladdin replied as Abu climbed onto his other shoulder.

They exited the lab and quickly deserted Jafar's room, shutting the door and the experience from the past day behind them. With two of his best friends on his shoulders, Aladdin felt things were as they should be. Iago found a familiar comfort perched there, finally at ease after too long driving himself to the breaking point.

When they entered the dining hall, Sultan was glad to see everyone. Iago wasted not a moment joining Abu in the center of the table, attacking the fruit bowl like it had somehow offended them and now must pay.

x x x

That evening, Iago begged to spend one last night in the palace before heading back to Aladdin's hovel. After everything the parrot had been through, Aladdin graciously acquiesced. The sun had long set as the friends settled into their beds for the night. Beyond the window, stars blinked into the velvety fabric of the dark sky.

After goodnights were exchanged and his friends were all slumbering peacefully, Iago sat up in bed, thinking about the day, trying to figure out for himself what had happened.

Had the spell worked or not? Had he actually gotten the gold but suffered awful side effects from the spell, effects that would have killed him had he not realized how to break the spell - by choosing friendship over gold? And then, had the gold simply disappeared? He thought about the wording of the spell, and it wasn't clear. The first couple of lines seemed best understood: about finding the treasure, but if the treasure was the heart's desire, was it what was in his heart that determined what his treasure was? If the heart's desire was only greed for gold, maybe that destroyed more important desires, like friendship, closing the door to what truly mattered, including life and love. However, if the heart's desire was ultimately friendship and caring for others, the gold of which was written could be the heart itself: a heart of gold. If that was the case, there was nothing to regret or to fear the door to life and love closing.

Iago's head was whirling with too many thoughts. Perhaps the spell hadn't worked at all and had only been the catalyst to literally making him sick from letting his greed consume him to the point where he wasn't sleeping or eating, when his mind was focused only on his drive for gold.

Still unsure of the truth, Iago yawned, realizing how spent he was. He supposed it didn't matter. He knew that ultimately his greed had almost won, and that scared him. He didn't think he could ever completely do away with his desire for riches, but having his friends had affected him deeper than any treasure of gold. He settled into the pillow, finally about to allow sleep to take him when soft footsteps padded across the room.

Iago's eyes snapped open as he saw Jasmine's shadowy form making her way toward him. She knelt beside him and smiled when she found him still awake.

"Good, you're up," she whispered. "I have something for you."

"For me?" Iago asked, astonished.

"Yes, just a little something for your troubles." Jasmine withdrew something from a pocket in her nightclothes and placed it on the pillow.

Iago reached for it and gasped when he held a diamond in his wing, one much like the one he might have wished for.

"What's this?"

"Look, I know how much it means to you… gold and jewels, that is. I have plenty, and it won't be missed. Just seeing you do that to yourself - making yourself ill - was terrible. Please don't drive yourself to the breaking point again, okay? Seeing you so sick made me realize that yes, maybe you do deserve a little something to hold onto. I wanted you to be happy."

Iago was at a loss for words. He never expected this. His friends already did more for him than he could ever express gratitude for, and he wasn't one for getting emotional often. This gesture was touching to the core. Iago knew it went deeper than a mere physical gift.

"Thanks," he finally whispered. "I- I don't know what else to say. But thanks. I hope… you know… I guess you know what I'm tryin' to say."

Jasmine kissed Iago on top of the head and gently ruffled his feathers. "Yes, yes, I do. Goodnight, Iago. Pleasant dreams."

Iago smiled and snuggled into the pillow and held the diamond to his chest, where beat a heart of gold.


End file.
